Rambo and Other Romantic Comedies
by TakemylovedowntoVioletHill
Summary: Dean takes it upon himself to educate Castiel where cinema is concerned.


It had begun one overcast Sunday afternoon. Dean had been sitting on the couch of Bobby's living room watching Walking Tall with a beer balanced on his knee as he struggled with Sam for control of the popcorn bowl and Castiel had perched on the armrest on Dean's side, squinting at the screen seriously, as though trying to absorb the pictures dancing across the shitty television screen. Bobby was pouring over a thick leather bound volume and offering help to an unknown person on the phone and was ever-so-often yelling at the three to turn it down and Sam would in reply crank the volume up two spaces making Bobby have to talk louder. The result was a shouting match while Dean and Castiel's eyes never left the screen.

"Can't you three idjits watch a goddamn movie without breaking my speakers!" the older hunter's voice was hardly audible over the sound of Dwayne Johnson smashing people's skulls in with a 2x4. Castiel cocked his head to the side, leaning over slightly to consult with Dean.

"So the main character is upset because of the spread of crystal meth?" he questioned.

Dean took a swig of his beer and nodded distractedly. "Yeah-wait wait wait, you've never seen Walking Tall?" this seemed to stop him in his tracks and he turned to look at the angel.

Cas blinked, Sam and Bobby hollering at each other only added to his apparent confusion. "Where would I have secured the time to watch such a film Dean?" there was sarcasm tinting the edges of his words and Dean knew he had a point. They probably didn't have movie theaters in heaven.

Frowning in thought the Winchester took another sip of his beer and set it on the coffee table, pondering what other fine examples of action cinema the poor guy had missed out on. So many titles filtered through his head it made him dizzy and while he ducked and narrowly avoided what looked like a paperback dictionary to symbolism chucked over in his direction from Bobby he devised a plan.

_Two days later_

"Dean I don't understand, Bobby told us to-,"

"I know what Bobby told us, okay? This is more important, move over." the hunter replied, making his way over with an overflowing plastic bowl of popcorn and two beers. Castiel wasn't much of a drinker but it was a mandatory part of the viewing experience.

The angel watched the proceedings, fascinated as Dean settled in, offering him a beer and grabbed the remote. "Okay, so here's the deal." He started. "I know that Bobby's working a case with Sammy and so we're going to educate you."

"Educate me how?" Castiel looked doubtful.

Dean motioned past his foot which was propped up on the table to the stack of DVDs that leaned to the side slightly. "You seemed to have missed out on a crucial part of being earthbound there Cas, I have taken on this responsibility to show you now that way if I die I can rest easy knowing you have seen the Rocky movies."

"I won't let anyone kill you-," Dean rolled his eyes as Castiel was quick to follow up his speech. To shut him up he hurriedly pressed play and his movie partner fell silent to begin watching the screen.

The first one up on the list was a classic, Rambo. Castiel was like a child whenever the TV was on, his eyes would always hone in on the display and he would keep silent for hours so long as you provided the footage. Throughout the course of the movie he would lean over to ask a question or comment on the hero's impressive fighting skills and Dean would nod in admiration. The angel had picked up on the beer thing and somewhere in the first half hour had cracked his open, taking small sips here and there. He didn't eat any of the popcorn and Dean quickly concluded that he had found a favorite movie buddy, someone who didn't yammer through the whole thing like Sam did and wouldn't eat all the snacks like Bobby.

When the movie was over Castiel watched the credits roll down the screen, turning to look at Dean. He was quiet for a moment or two before setting the bottle in his hands on the coffee table and standing up. "Thank you." was all he said. Dean frowned, sitting up from his spot on the sofa.

"Hey wait, we're not done." He protested.

Castiel now looked slightly uncomfortable, glancing over his shoulder to the books holding the information they were supposed to research for Bobby and Sam. They were three hours away fighting what they believed to be a ghost but needed additional bookwork to positively identify. "Won't Bobby and Sam be waiting for us to call?"

Dean huffed. "I'm sure that Bobby and Sammy are fine, if they needed us they'd call. Besides, this is simple stuff." Castiel mulled that over for a few moments and the Winchester stood up, grinning at him. "Besides, the next one up on our list is the Boondock Saints."

Cas perked to attention. "A religious film?" he asked.

Raising his now empty beer Dean smiled. "Not quite."

With concessions refilled and a six pack now stationed on the coffee table along with a cell phone (Castiel had insisted in the event the men call in need of assistance) the next movie began. Cas seemed very interested in this one, more so than Rambo. The tale of the brothers drawing him in so that he was actually leaning forward and his eyes keen like he was trying to suck the words out of their mouths and swallow them whole. He didn't drink any of the alcohol provided and Dean picked up the slack gladly.

"It's a good one huh?" the Winchester gushed a little too happily with his fifth beer resting on his stomach as he slouched in his seat. Castiel nodded distractedly, leaning back as well in a more comfortable position.

"I don't know any saints like this." The angel commented.

"I don't think anyone does." The hunter agreed before letting silence envelope them again.

They fell into a pattern, as soon as one movie was over they would take a short break for Dean to get more beer and for Castiel to check the phone for messages before sitting back down to watch the next title. The angel seemed to be enjoying them and the action kept Dean engaged, his steady intake of alcohol making him a little less conscious of the fact that he was getting louder. He would point things out and Cas would patiently agree or comment on his observations.

The end of the third six pack found Dean leaning comfortably against the angel as the ending fight scene to The Matrix played on the television. Castiel remained impassive to the contact from the hunter, eyes focused intently. Some of the selections the Winchester noticed Cas bonding more with, this one seemed to be a favorite already, the angel pointing out parallels between biblical lore with the characters. A pleasantly drunk Dean would only nod slovenly, his cheek mashed against Castiel's shoulder.

"This is an interesting setup," the angel said after a particularly long stretch of silence. "The main character heavily resembles your people's ideals of Jesus but his mannerisms are completely wrong."

"Wrong?" the hunter hummed. Castiel had taken away the beer since and the empty bottles strewn on the floor were testament to exactly how much had been drunk.

"Yes, perhaps it's easier to associate with a messiah who doesn't understand what must be done. My Father's Son always knew what was expected of him." There was a pause. "I see him more as you than the persona he's attempted to relate to."

Even a buzzed Dean knew what he meant and stiffened slightly, lifting his head to shift away. "Just watch the movie." His voice was serious.

Castiel didn't comment any more on that train of thought, continuing to watch. "It wasn't meant to be an insult." Came the soft words when the credits began to roll.

"I'd like to go a few days without being reminded that I'm only being kept alive to serve as an angel's meatsuit." Dean snapped back, the gap between them grew and after a few tense seconds he stood, swaying slightly and tried to get to the kitchen.

Cas's hand gripped his sleeve, stopping him. "Free Will has always been a belief cherished by my Father." He murmured. "My brothers don't grasp this concept but remember that."

Dean wrenched his arm away from the angel's grasp and stalked into the other room, taking a seat at the table, struggling with another beer. The quiet was deafening as he sipped at the bottle until there was sound in the other room. Castiel was fiddling hopelessly with the DVD player, trying to figure out how to set another disk inside it.

He was peering at the remote and pressing random buttons, Dean leaned against the doorway watching. It was hard to be angry at a scene like that. "What are you doing?" the angel looked up at him, his blue eyes highlighted in the dim room illuminated by the glow of the TV.

"The next film on the list." he replied, motioning to the case which read 'Terminator' in big red letters.

The Winchester stood there for a moment, chewing on the inside of his cheek, looking at the angel in his trenchcoat trying desperately to open the little tray to insert the movie and he sighed. Pushing off the wall he swatted Cas away to exchange the discs out and pressing play on the remote. Castiel took his seat on the couch watching the hunter with apprehensive eyes. They stared at each other for a few seconds before he huffed.

"Let me get more beer." Dean muttered darkly.

—

Bobby pushed the front door open, Sam in tow with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. The house was dark except for the kitchen and he crossed the linoleum to shut it off until he caught sight of the living room and what awaited him there.

Dean was knocked out cold, his body awkwardly positioned on the couch. The glare of the TV cast a strange light. Castiel was sitting there as well, the older Winchester's head placed in his lap like that was maybe where he had fallen asleep, his face smashed comically against the angel's thigh. A hand drooped off of the cushions onto the ground and several dozen beer bottles were scattered every which way.

Cas looked up to see Sam and Bobby, nodding but motioning for silence, gesturing to Dean. "What are you doing?" Bobby mouthed.

The angel pointed the screen and mouthed back what looked suspiciously like the word 'Rocky'. Dean said something in his sleep and stirred slightly, his hand moving from the ground to curl around the fabric of Castiel's coat. The angel didn't look the slightest bit alarmed, he seemed far too engrossed in the movie.

Sam stepped forward but Bobby held him back. "I'll wake him up and get him to bed." The younger Winchester explained.

The older hunter shook his head, sighing. "Leave him be, I don't think Cas placed him there after he fell asleep." And it was true. Dean had very much nestled his head in the angel's lap on his own accord an hour prior.

When Sam and Bobby went up for bed that night Cas was halfway through Bad Boyz II and Dean had all but crawled into his arms.


End file.
